Device for storing and rotatably supporting reels of tape



Oct. 25, 1955 R, O, BlRcHLER ET AL 2,721,710

DEVICE FOR STORING AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTING REELS OF TAPE A, fifi m0 s M N 1 Q R l l Y M u v WW I M H M M m .wb MWL slI- lWl-mv 0,. S 0 N\ w. k .mv V U .m C, o wm Q W r d Q wma .wlfw 0L /A 2 I m\\ mGv A N hm. n@ a L .I Y Y uw r QV MN .W\ INN W mv @n mw N\ 9W I ww W 9v I Q QI I E I QM' I l. mv 9v nw I I n :4v Wm' u w In. m A 8, l/ v T/// QM m.\ mm mv n.9 IWW bw .Tu C M .mfwm m VW mi 29| )QW F il N wlarklr.. v

Oct. 25, 1955 R, Q BlRCHLER ET AL 2,721,710

DEVICE FOR STORING AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTING REELS 0F TAPE Filed Oct. 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 l l n: 47m/fwn United States Patent() DEVICE FOR STORING AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTING REELS F TAPE Robert 0. Birchler, Cicero, and Amos L. Quinlan, La Grange, Ill., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 28, 1954, Serial No. 465,182

8 Claims. (Cl. 242-58) This invention relates to combined reel supporting and storage devices and more particularly to a reel storing device for supporting a plurality of reels of tape for horizontal rotation while the tape is being unwound therefrom.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for enclosing and supporting a plurality of tape reels for horizontal movement during the feeding of the tape therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide an mproved device for supporting a reel for rotation in a predetermined position about a vertical axis and for expediting the movement of the reel to said predetermined positron.

A device illustrating certain features of the invention may include a cabinet in the lower portion of which is a plurality of spaced upper and lower U-shaped tracks for receiving and supporting a plurality of the tape supply` reels for storage, and in the upper portion of which cabinet three sets of rollers having tapered flanges are provided for engaging the rim portions of a plurality of reels for horizontally supporting them for rotation about a vertical axis while the tapes are being unwound therefrom. Two of the sets of rollers are mounted for rotation about stationary vertical'axes and the third set of rollers is mounted in a swingable bracket for rotation about a vertical axis and for movement to and from a closed position in engagement with the rims of the reels and an open position permitting the reelsto be moved to said predetermined position and removed therefrom. Horizontal stationary plates are provided for supporting the reelsrwhile they are being moved to and from said predetermined operative positions, and each 4of the rollers of the several sets has `a horizontal flange portion spaced above the plate and engageable with the rim of the reel for supporting it above the plate and each roller has a conical or tapered flange portion sloping from the horizontal portion downwardly to-l ward the upper surface of the plate for guiding the horizontally positioned reel upwardly onto the horizontal supporting surface of the rollers and the rollers also have a vertically disposed cylindrical portion engageable with the periphery of the rims for preventing lateral or radial displacement of the reels during rotation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which:

Fig. l is a plan sectional view through the upper reel supporting portion of the device;

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views of the device taken along the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Fig. l;

able reel supporting rollers;

Fig. 1; .andv x 65 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan sectional view of the de-, vice showing open and closed positions of the set of mov- Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through one of the tape supply reels which are stored vertically and are mounted horizontally in the cabinet for rotation.

Referring to the drawings the present device 10 is designed to provide a storage space for a plurality of reels 12 of relatively large diameters on which tapes 13 of contact forming material are wound to provide means for supporting a plurality of the reels for horizontal rotation about a vertical axis while the tapes are being unwound from the reels and fed into an apparatus for making relay parts. Each of the reels 12 has an annular hub and a pair of heads 16 spaced apart for receiving a coil of the tape 13 therebetween. The heads 16 are formed from a plurality of radial spokes 17 welded at one end to the hub 15 and the other end to a rim 18, the spokes 17 and the rims 18 being made from heavy wire or light rod material.

The device comprises a cabinet 21 having vertical side and rear walls 22 and a pair of hinged front doors 23 secured to angle iron corner posts 24. The upper portion of the walls are formed by channel iron members 25, the front one of which has a large opening 26 therein for the reels 12 to pass through. The top of the device 10 is a relatively heavy frame plate 27 supported on and secured to the channel members 26 and the bottom of the device comprises a plurality of transversely extending frame members 29. A plurality of aligned lower channel-shaped guide members 30 and upper channel-shaped guide members 31 are secured to the frame members 29 and 26, respectively, and extend rearwardly from the front doors 23 for receiving and supporting a plurality of tape reels 12 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus, the lower portion of the cabinet 21 forms a storage space for vertically storing a supply of the tape reels 12.

The upper portion of the cabinet 21 has means therein for supporting three tape reels 12 for horizontal rotation in a predetermined position about a vertical axis while the tapes 19 are unwound therefrom. Two stationary sets 35 of rollers 36 and a movable set 37 of rollers 36 are provided for engaging the rim portions of the reel and supporting them for horizontal rotation. Each set 35, 35, 37 of rollers comprises three rollers 36 mounted for rotation on vertical shafts 38, 38, and 39 and spaced vertically from each other by spacing sleeves 40 (Figs. 5 and 6). The shafts 38 of the stationary sets 35, 35 of rollers are journalled in upper brackets 43 fixed to the upper plate 27 and in lower brackets 44 secured to the lower one of three horizontally disposed supporting plates 45 which are stationarily suspended from the top frame plate 27 by a plurality of bolts 46 and tubular spacers 47. The plates 45 are shaped to provide clearance for the stationary and movable sets 35 and 37 of rollers 36 and serve to support the reels 12 during the loading and unloading of the reels into and from their operative position within the upper portion of the cabinet 23 as shown in Fig. l.

The ends of the shaft 39 are secured to the arms 49 of a bracket which is mounted on a pin 51 secured to the top frame plate 27 for swinging movement about a vertical axis of pin 51. The set 37 of rollers 36 is movable to and from a` closed or operative position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 4 with the rollers 36 in engagement with the rims 18 of the reels 12, and to and from an open or inoperative position shown in dotted lines in the upper portion of Fig. 4. A rod 54 (Fig. 5) secured to the bracket 50 extends upwardly through an arcuate slot 55 in the top frame plate 27 and has a headed upper portion enclosed in a tubular handle mem-y ber 56, which at its lower end is threadedly secured to an apertured cap member 57 slidable on the rod 54. 'I'he member 57 has a reduced projecting end58 which forms 3 a locking pin engageable in a pair of recesses 59 at opposite ends of the slot 55 for locking the bracket and the movable set of rollers 36 in closed and open positions. A spring 60 interposed between the cap member 57 and the head of the rod 54 serves to move the handle 56 and the locking pin 58 downwardly into locked position.

Each of the rollers 36 of the stationary and movable sets of rollers comprises a vertically extending shank portion 63 having a flange portion 64 at the lower end thereof. The flange portion 64 has an upper annular horizontal surface 65 spaced above the upper surface of the adjacent plate 45 and has a conical or sloping annular surface 66 extending from the annular horizontal surface 65 to a level slightly below the top surface of the plate 45. The annular horizontal surface 65 of the rollers are adapted to engage the rims 18 of the reels and support the reels above and in spaced relation to the supporting plates 45 and the sloping or conical surfaces 66 are adapted to cam the reels upwardly as the reels and the rollers are moved relative to each other into operative position. The shank portion 63 has a vertically disposed cylindrical surface 68 engageable with a periphery of the rims 18 of the reels 12 for preventing lateral displacement of the reels when the reels are supported in operative position on the three sets of rollers.

With the tape reels rotatably supported in operative position in the upper portion of the cabinets, when the tape is exhausted from one of the reels, the operator may remove the empty reel and replace it with a full reel by opening the front doors 23 and manipulating the handle 56 to move the movable set 37 of rollers from its closed position in engagement with the rims of the reels to its open position, after which the operator may grasp the adjacent rim portion of the empty reel and pull it out from the cabinet. During the initial portion of this movement the rims will be moved off of the horizontal supporting surfaces 65 of the rollers and slide down the sloping portion 66 thereof into engagement with the upper surface of the supporting plate 45 which will support the rearward portion of the reel until the reel has been moved to. a point where the operator may grasp the reel and remove it from the cabinet.

A full reel may then be grasped by the operator and a portion thereof placed horizontally on the edge of the supporting plate 45, after which the reel is pushed horizontally into the cabinet until the rim portion thereof engages the stationary sets 35 of rollers and is cammed upwardly by the inclined surfaces 66 of the roller onto the horizontal supporting surfaces 65 thereof, after which the operator manipulates the handle 56 and swings the movable set 37 of rollers into closed position to cause the inclined surfaces 66 of the rollers to engage and raise the. three reels upwardly onto the cylindrical surface 68 into engagement with or close proximity to the peripheries of the rims of the reels and thereby support them for rotation and against axial movement.

An opening (not shown) is provided in the upper plate 27 through which the operator may insert his hand to thread the leading end of the tape from the reel through a slot 70 (Fig. l) in the channel iron 25 of the cabinet into the apparatus, for making relay parts.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which. will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and. scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. In a reel storage cabinet for rotatably supporting a reel having a supply of strand to be fed therefrom, a fixed shelf inA the cabinet for supporting a supply reel, a plurality of; spaced spindles, means for supporting the spindles, to. conform t0. the periphery of the reel, means swingably mounting; one. of said spindles so that it can bey out to provide clearance for placing a supplyr reel on the xed shelf, a plurality of companion rollers, one of said rollers being rotatably mounted on each of said spindles, each roller having a flange with an inclined conical surface with the lowest surface portion thereof ush with or below the upper surface of the xed shelf and terminating at its highest point in a step portion to support the rim of the reel during its rotation, and means for swinging said one spindle and roller to engage and cam the reel up the said inclined surfaces on the rollers into rotatable position on said step portions.

2. A device for rotatably supporting a reel of tape comprising a plurality of at least three spaced rollers, means rotatably mounting said rollers for engaging the rim portion of said reel at spaced points to support the reel for substantially horizontal rotation in a predetermined position, means having an upper surface for supporting said reel for movement to said predetermined position, means mounting one of said rollers for movement from a rst position in engagement with the rim portion of said reel to a second position to permit the movement of a reel to and from said predetermined position, each of said rollers having a horizontally disposed reel supporting surface in upwardly spaced relation to the upper surface of said supporting means for supporting the reel above said supporting surface, each of said rollers having a sloping surface extending from the horizontally disposed surface of the roller to the level of the upper surface of said supporting means for guiding the reel from said upper surface of said supporting means to the horizontally disposed surface of said roller in response to relative horizontal movement between said rollers and said reel and each of said rollers having vertically disposed surfaces engageable with the periphery of the rim portion of said reel for preventing the lateral displacement thereof.

3. A device for rotatably supporting a reel of tape comprising frame means including spaced upper and lower horizontally disposed plates for receiving a reel for horizontal movement therebetween to a predetermined position, a plurality of rollers arranged to engage spaced portions of the rims of a reel for supporting said reel in said predetermined position, means mounting said rollers on said plates for rotation about vertical axes and for movement of at least one of the rollers to and from a closed position engageable with the rim of said reel and an. open position permitting horizontal movement of the reel to and from said predetermined position, each of said rollers having an annular ange portion and a shank portion extending upwardlyv therefrom, the ange portion of said rollers each having a horizontal annular surface positioned above and in predetermined vertically spaced relation to the lower plate and engageable with the rim of a reel for supporting the reel above and in spaced relation to said lower plate and having an annular portion sloping from said horizontal portion toward the upper surface of said lower plate for raising the reel from the lower plate in response to relative movement between said reel and said rollers, and the shank portion of said rollers each having annular upwardly directed surfaces engageable with the periphery of the rim of said reel for preventing lateral displacement thereof.

4. A device for rotatably supporting a reel of tape comprising a plurality of at least three spaced rollers, means mounting said rollers for engaging the rim portion of said reel at spaced points for supporting the reel for substantially horizontal rotation in a predetermined position, a plate, means mounting said plate horizontally in a predetermined stationary position for supporting said reel for movement to said predetermined position, means mounting one of said rollers for movement from a closed position in engagement with the rim portion of said reel to an open position to permit the movement of a reel to and from said predetermined position, and means for locking said movable roller in said closed position, each ofV said rollers having a horizontally disposed surface in upwardly spaced relation to the upper surface of said plate for supporting the reel above said plate and having:

a sloping surface extending from said horizontally disposed surface of the roller to the level of the upper surface of the plate for raising the reel from the plate to the horizontally disposed surface of said roller, and each of said rollers having vertically disposed surfaces engageable with the periphery of the rim portion of said reel for preventing the lateral displacement thereof.

5. A device for rotatably supporting a reel of tape comprising a plurality of at least three spaced rollers, means mounting said rollers for rotation about vertical axes and for engaging the rim portion of said reel at spaced locations to support the reel for horizontal rotation in a predetermined position, means having an upper surface for supporting said reel for movement to said predetermined position, means mounting one of said rollers for movement from a closed position in engagement with said reel to an open position spaced therefrom to permit the movement of a reel to and from said predetermined position, each of said rollers having an annular ange and a shank extending upwardly therefrom, each of said anges having a horizontal annular surface in upwardly spaced relation to the upper surface of said supporting means for supporting the reel in spaced relation to said supporting means and having an annular conical surface sloping downwardly from said horizontal surface of the roller to the level of the upper surface of said supporting means for guiding the reel from said upper surface of said supporting means to the horizontal surface of said roller, and the shank of said rollers being engageable with the periphery of the rim portion of said reel for preventing the lateral displacement thereof.

6. A device for supporting a reel of tape for horizontal rotation within an enclosure comprising a cabinet having an opening for receiving a reel for horizontal movement thereinto, a plate, means for mounting said plate for supporting said reel for horizontal movement to a predetermined position, a plurality of roller means, means mounting said roller means for engagement with the rim portions of a reel at spaced points thereon, some of said roller means having horizontally disposed surfaces in vertically spaced relation to the top surface of the plate engageable with the rim of the reel for supporting said reel in spaced relation to said plate and having portions sloping from said horizontal portions to the upper surface of said plate for raising the reel from the plate in response to relative movement between said reel and said roller means, some of said roller means having vertically disposed surfaces engageable with the periphery of the said rims for limiting the lateral movement thereof, and means for mounting at least one of said roller means for movement to and from a closed position in engagement with the rim of a reel in said predetermined position and an open position permitting the movement of the reel into and out of said cabinet and to and from said predetermined position.

7. A device for supporting a reel of tape for horizontal rotation Within an enclosure comprising a cabinet having an opening for receiving a reel for horizontal movement thereinto, a plate, means for mounting said p'late for supporting said reel for horizontal movement to a predetermined position, a plurality of rollers, means mounting said rollers for rotation about vertical axes and for engagement with the rim portions of a reel at spaced points thereon, said rollers having horizontally disposed surfaces in vertically spaced relation to the top surface of the plate engageable with the rim of the reel for supporting said reel in spaced relation to said plate and having portions sloping from said horizontal portions to the level of the upper surface of said plate for raising the reel from the plate in response to relative movement between said reel and said rollers, said rollers having vertically disposed surfaces engageable with the periphery of the said rims for limiting the lateral movement thereof, and means for mounting at least one of said roller means for movement to and from a closed position in engagement with the rim of a reel in said predetermined position and an open position permitting the movement of the reel into and out of said cabinet and to and from said predetermined position.

8. In a device for rotatably supporting a reel of tape the combination of a frame including spaced upper and lower horizontally disposed plates for receiving a reel for horizontal movement therebetween to a predetermined position, a plurality of rollers arranged to engage spaced portions of the rim of a reel for supporting said reel in said predetermined position for rotation about a vertical axis, means on one of said plates mounting some of said rollers on said plates for rotation about vertical fixed axes, means on one of said plates mounting one of said rollers for rotation about a vertical axis and for movement of the roller to and from a closed position engageable with the rim of said reel and an open position permitting horizontal movement of the reel to and from said predetermined position, and means for locking said movable roller in said closed position, each of said rollers having an annular flange and a shank portion extending upwardly therefrom, the flange of said rollers each having a horizontal annular surface poysitioned above and in predetermined vertically spaced relation to the lower plate and engageable with the rim of a reel for supporting the reel above and in spaced relation to said lower plate and having an annular portion sloping from said horizontal portion toward the upper surface of said lower plate for raising the reel from the lower plate in response to relative movement between said reel and said rollers, and the shank portion of said 'rollers each having annular upwardly directed surfaces engageable with the periphery of the rim of said reel for preventing lateral displacement thereof.

No references cited. 

